The Accra High Court has dismissed two injunction applications seeking to block the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) from embossing and distributing vehicle number plates for 2026.
The applications, filed on December 22, 2025, and January 5, 2026, were brought by 26 vehicle embossment companies and their parent association as part of a substantive suit challenging a contract awarded by the DVLA to another company for the embossment of the plates.
The plaintiffs moved the applications in court on Tuesday, urging the court to restrain the DVLA and the awarded company from proceeding with embossment or distribution of the number plates—whether physical or digital—until the main case is determined.
The first application sought an interlocutory injunction to halt embossment and distribution pending the final outcome. The second similarly aimed to prevent any form of embossment or distribution of plates. The presiding judge dismissed both applications, ruling that they were without merit.
In their substantive claim, the plaintiffs argue that the DVLA’s prior approval of 27 of their members to emboss vehicle number plates, along with the parties’ subsequent conduct, established an enforceable contract that has not been withdrawn.
They claim the DVLA owes their members arrears for pre-financing the embossment of plates and has refused to engage them for the 2026 rollout despite the approval remaining in force.
The plaintiffs further contend that the DVLA informed them on October 27, 2025, through its Chief Executive Officer, that the manufacturing and embossment contract had been awarded to Dr Nyarko Esumadu Appiah of Original Manufacturing and Embossment (Daasebre), a decision later confirmed by the Deputy Chief Executive.
They describe the award as unfair, unreasonable, and an abuse of administrative power, noting that for the past 30 years, manufacturing and embossment contracts were handled separately to prevent conflicts of interest. They accuse the DVLA of breaching the Public Procurement Act, 2003, by failing to advertise for tenders or obtain approval from the Public Procurement Authority for sole-sourcing the contract, while overlooking 46 licensed companies and sole proprietors.
Although the plaintiffs support the introduction of digitalised vehicle number plates, they have proposed a six-month suspension of the rollout to allow for adequate planning, training, and stakeholder engagement.
They note that consultations on the digital plates began in 2021 but were halted following management changes in 2024, with the current DVLA leadership allegedly unwilling to continue discussions.
The plaintiffs warn that without court intervention, their members face irreparable harm and significant financial losses, as more than 3,000 workers employed by them risk losing their livelihoods if the longstanding arrangement is arbitrarily terminated. The substantive suit remains pending, with the plaintiffs seeking a declaration that the awarded contract is null and void.